It never ceases to amaze us how far some of these little diesel vehicles can travel. Volkswagen just set a new record with the Golf TDI by travelling a whopping 8,233.5 miles on less than 300 dollars in diesel fuel. If that’s not an impressive return on investment I don’t know what is. During the course of the trip the vehicle managed to travel through each of the 48 lower states and traveled for a total of 16 days.

Setting the Record

Volkswagen managed to beat its own record while trying to do the same thing the company already did. Over this trip they managed to get 81.7 MPG, beating the old record of 77.99 MPG. It’s important to note that this trip beats the hybrid vehicle record by more than 6 MPG, which is pretty impressive since hybrids are supposed to be highly efficient drivers.

Driving Skills Preparation in California

You can’t just start driving and expect to meet the level of fuel efficiency that Bob Winger and Wayne Gerdes managed during their world-record trip. In order to hit the records that they did, the team had to spend hundreds of hours training in different driving conditions. They weren’t verifying the chosen route using these test trips, but rather honing efficient driving skills that would provide the fuel figures the team was striving for.

In a recount of the prep leading up the big trip Gerdes is on record saying that he relied on the Tejon Pass, the Cajon Pass, the San Gorgoino Pass and the Laguna mountains to figure out how to drive efficiently through steep elevation climbs and descents. It took countless trial runs through these mountain passes to hone steep incline driving skills enough to keep efficiency levels up where they needed them to be.

In order to learn how to deal with the highly congested sections of I-95 the trio would encounter through the northeastern portions of the trip, they headed over to 405 and 5 between LAX and San Diego. These notoriously congested sections served as a training ground to master efficient driving even when roads are packed and driving conditions are more restricted and start and stop traffic is common.

California is a state filled with unique features and even though the state was only a small portion of the overall record-setting trip, it served as the key training ground that made it possible for the trip to be successful in the first place.

The Trip

The trip started at the American Headquarters in Herndon Virginia on Monday the 22nd of June. After 16 days of straight driving the vehicle ended up in the same exact spot on July 7th. The main driver doing the run was Wayne Gerdes, but he had help from Bob Winger the co-driver along on the trip.

About the Vehicle

In order to accomplish this very impressive feat the 2015 Golf TDI relies on a turbo-charged engine that uses direct-injection technology and runs on diesel fuel. It has a 6-speed manual transmission that’s quite efficient. This particular vehicle was fitted with Linear Logic ScanGuage II to take a precise measure of the fuel economy throughout the trip. It also relied on an LG G4 smartphone and a Garmin Nuvi LM GPS navigator to get the vehicle where it needed to go all along.

This record shows you how far you can push a couple tanks of diesel if you know what you’re doing and if you have the proper equipment. The Golf TDI is meant to drive far without burning through much fuel, but I doubt anyone expected it to travel quite as far as it did in real-world driving conditions, or as efficiently.

Diesel vehicles are well-known for being fuel efficient and that’s why truck drivers rely on them to get freight around the country. It’s a benefit that recent vehicle buyers are beginning to notice, and could cause more shoppers to start choosing diesel when making their purchases.

This year’s Los Angeles Auto Show served as the unveiling of the all-new Audi A3 for the North American market. Filling the spot of the A3 Sportback, the new A3 will shun the hatchback configuration for most models and will instead adopt more traditional sedan and convertible bodystyle.

If you’re a die-hard fan of the A3 Sportback, don’t lose hope yet, as Audi will continue to offer the hatchback body in the e-tron Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle model. As the name suggests, this model will be able to run on electricity alone for some miles before its gas engine kicks in.

For those of us interested in saving fuel at the pump, but not quite ready to make the transition to a plug-in hybrid car, the new A3 will be offered with Audi’s 1.8 TFSI and 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder engines, producing 170 and 220-horsepower respectively. Audi will also offer a 150-horsepower 2.0-liter TDI diesel engine that will offer extended range and fuel efficiency over its gas-powered brethren.

If you’re a speed demon, you can also make your way up to the 290-horsepower S3 model. Expect a future RS3 model offering in excess of 300-horsepower.

But the A3 isn’t so much about horsepower, as it is about bringing Audi’s pursuit of luxury and technology to the masses. With a base price of $29,900, the all-new A3 gives customers the opportunity to own the first vehicle in its class with 4G LTE connectivity. This technology allows the all-new A3 to incorporate features such as Google Earth and Google Street View in its MMI infotainment system.

Operating in conjunction with a 7-inch screen that rises from the dash, MMI’s latest trick is the incorporation of a touchpad onto its rotary wheel. Teamed with the A3’s available 705-watt Bang & Olufsen Sound System, the compact Audi is turned into a miniature A8.

With available safety features such as active lane assist and adaptive cruise control, the Audi A3 incorporates a host of technologies to keep its passengers safe. Whether your new to the Audi brand, want to cut your emissions by investing in the A3 Sportback e-tron PHEV, or feel the need for speed that is the sporty S3, Audi’s latest compact model will leave you more than impressed with its available luxury and technology features.

A team of 12 drivers will embark this weekend on “Truth in 48,” a bid to drive 2,800-plus miles from Audi Pacific to New York in 48 hours or less. The team will be driving the 2014 Audi A6 TDI and 2014 Audi A7 TDI sedans, with the 2014 Audi Q5 TDI as a support vehicle in the challenge to demonstrate the extended range and fuel economy provided by Audi clean diesel technology.

Throughout the drive, the CleanMPG team will swap seats with members of the media, including Christian Moe of Road & Track, Damon Bell of Consumer Guide Automotive, Jill Ciminillo of Chicago Tribune and Sebastian Blanco of Autoblog Green.

Each Audi TDI clean diesel vehicle delivers up to 30% better fuel economy and 30% lower carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline engines, resulting in longer range and fewer trips to the fuel pump. By having more density than gasoline, diesel packs more energy in the same amount of fuel which helps maximize the miles per gallon. The 2014 Audi A6, A7 and Q5 TDI clean diesel engine vehicles adds to Audi’s list of advanced technologies that help enhance fuel efficiency, including Audi ultra® lightweight technology, Audi quattro and Audi e-tron.

To follow along the “Truth in 48” cross-country drive challenge visit Audi’s Twitter and Facebook pages utilizing the hashtag #audiTDI.

Zack McDonald from HybridCars.com contacted us and asked if he could be a guest blogger for LAcarGUY, we were happy to oblige!

Remember the Volkswagen L1 that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2009? If not, here’s a brief refresher: The carbon-fiber bodied L1 concept was powered by a 0.8-liter two-cylinder diesel engine that cranked out 27 horsepower. That diesel engine was supplemented by a 10-kW electric motor housed inside the L1’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With a curb weight of only 838 pounds, Volkswagen claimed the L1 would return upwards of 170 miles per gallon.

Then, in January of 2011, Volkswagen unveiled the third generation of its fuel-sipping concept. The third-gen vehicle differed from its predecessor in several ways, but most notable was its addition of a port, which transformed the concept into a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Called the XL1, Volkswagen’s lightweight concept boasted an electric-only range of 21 miles and measured in at 153-inches long, 66-inches wide and only 45-inches high. Weight shot up to 1,753 pounds, but the output from its diesel engine jumped to 48 horsepower and its electric motor cranked out 20 kW. Volkswagen claimed the XL1 concept could zip from zero to 62 miles per hour in 11.9 seconds and top out at 100 mph.

Most importantly, the XL1 retained its streamlined body and its ultra-efficient hybrid powertrain. At the time, Volkswagen announced the XL1 would return a remarkable 261 mpg—a questionable figure since it’s based on Europe’s lenient fuel economy test cycles. Nevertheless, we’d expect the production version to return approximately 150 mpg in “real world” driving, and word is a production version is coming soon.

According to Automotive News Europe, Volkswagen chief executive officer, Martin Winterkorn, officially confirmed the 2013 launch of the two-seat XL1. ANE quoted Winterkorn, “We will start small series production by 2013—in Germany.”

That most likely equates to VW whipping out 100 or so production versions of the XL1 and selling them to the general public over in Germany. So, more of a field trial than a full-scale production vehicle, but hopefully VW brass will decide to eventually give the XL1 plug-in hybrid the mass production green light.

We couldn’t be more proud. Be sure to contact us for info on this amazing car at www.pacificaudi.com.

As fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness have become more important to car buyers over the past few years, so has the annual Green Car of the Year award become more important to auto makers. December 3rd, at the L.A. Auto Show, before a packed room of automotive journalists, analysts, executives, and television cameras, Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal, announced the winner of the 2010 Green Car of the Year award – the Audi A3 TDI. Click here for a photo.

There were five finalist contenders for the prestigious Green COTY Award: the Audi A3 TDI, Toyota Prius, VW Golf TDI, Mercury Milan Hybrid, and Honda Insight. After teasing the audience with a description of the 2010 Green Car of The Year Award, Cogan named the Audi A3 TDI as the winner. Accepting the award was Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America. “Now I know how actors feel when they win an Academy Award,” de Nysschen told the crowd, adding, “We consider the Green Car of the Year title one of the most important industry accolades.” Jurors for this year’s event included Dr. Alan Lloyd, president of the International Council of Clean Transportation; Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen, president Global Green USA; Jay Leno, automotive expert and TV host; and auto icon Carrol Shelby.

Toyota Santa Monica participated in the Ride and
Drive Lot at the 4th Annual Alt Car Expo on October 2-3 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic. The Ride and Drive Lot provided a hands-on experience with all different technologies
of vehicle manufacturers representing the latest choices of Electric, Hydrogen,
Biodiesel, Natural Gas, Propane, Hybrid, Plug In, Ethanol and Cycling.

Said Bill, "we were really impressed with the turnout. Over two days there were approximately 10,000 people coming and going. We had 7 hybrid vehicles to show and did over 100 test drives! One of our highlights was getting to speak with Governor Schwarzenegger who was especially interested in the solar
paneled roof on the Prius."

The Audi A3 TDI, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI have been nominated for "Green Car of the Year." We'll be rooting for all three since we carry all three models at LAcarGUY.com. We have the 2010 Prius in stock at Toyota of Hollywood and Toyota Santa Monica. Pacific Audi will carry the A3 TDI very soon and VW Santa Monica and Pacific VW are looking forward to seeing their first TDI Golf soon.

The 2009 Jetta TDI clean diesel has been awarded the 2009 Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal. The editors at Green Car Journal nominated five vehicles that represented the year’s best-of-the-best 2009 green vehicles, and today announced that they have chosen Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI clean diesel as the best-of-the best and awarded it their 2009 Green Car of the Year.

“It is a tremendous honor to have our Jetta TDI awarded Green Car of the Year,”said Stefan Jacoby, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “We believe our Jetta TDI’s truly offer a no compromise alternative fuel driving experience that provides our customer the best of both worlds—excellent fuel efficiency combined with a dynamic driving experience. With more than 8,000 units already sold since its mid-August market introduction, it’s clear that a Volkswagen clean diesel is what the people want.”

“The Volkswagen Jetta TDI rose to the top as Green Car Journal’s 2009 Green Car of the Year® for some very important reasons,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “Hybrids have dominated the discussion of environmentally positive vehicles in recent years. The highly fuel efficient, 50 state emissions certified Jetta TDI shows that advanced clean diesel has arrived and is poised to change this dynamic. With its affordable price point, refined ride and handling, and high fuel economy, the Jetta TDI shows that hybrids now have a strong competitor in the marketplace.”

Both LAcarGUY.com Volkswagen dealerships have both the diesel sedan and sportwagen in stock. View the inventory of both dealerships using LAcarguy's inventory tool.

The clean burning diesels have been rated at 30mpg city, 41 mpg on the highway in a test that the government acknowledges wasn't designed to properly rate diesels and tends to understate actual mileage. A test commissioned by VW showed better numbers of 38 miles per gallon in the city and 44 on the highway.